Co-working space offers a place to grow OKC's technology community

An Oklahoma nonprofit focused on developing the state's technology sector will finally have a space to call home when a new co-working space opens in Oklahoma City.

StarSpace46 will be at 1141 W Sheridan, just west of Classen Boulevard. It is scheduled to open in mid-August, said Ryan Johnston, the owner of the building. The idea is to create a co-working space that serves as the hub for the Oklahoma City tech community.

StarSpace is strongly tied with Techlahoma, a nonprofit organization that tries to foster the growth of the state's tech community. The vice president and secretary of Techlahoma are co-founders of StarSpace, and Techlahoma is running a capital campaign based on sponsorship of different rooms in StarSpace.

“The alignment with our mission is practically in overlap,” said Jesse Harlin, president of Techlahoma.

Techlahoma will serve as an anchor tenant for StarSpace, regularly renting out the converted garage that will serve as an event space. A central meeting place is something the nonprofit has never had before.

“We're talking like 400 some-odd technologists who go through these groups every single month. So it's been really difficult to find a space up to this point,” Jesse Harlin said. “We've been kind of nomadic.”

“It's standing room only. We need the space,” said Amanda Harlin, secretary of the nonprofit and Jesse Harlin's wife.